


Stories of Monsters

by MageOfTheLufaines



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, ORAS Verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-07
Updated: 2015-04-07
Packaged: 2018-03-21 18:29:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3701979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MageOfTheLufaines/pseuds/MageOfTheLufaines
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Archie had been told about the monsters lurking in the depths, not knowing that one monster would claim him despite his attempts at shaking it off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stories of Monsters

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written based on a prompt that a friend showed me, but I can't find the original prompt anymore. It does contain some Hardenshipping references, but it is not a Hardenshipping fic (even though I've tagged it). Also, due to the fact I am lazy, some of the dialogue is straight from Alpha Sapphire and/or tweaked ever so slightly from the original.

He was always warned of the monsters that lurked within the darkness of the waves that seemed so gentle to the young boy at the time. His mother would sit him down outside their house, watching the waves lap up against the wooden boards that Pacifidlog Town was built upon. He learnt that no one had really managed to get to the deepest depths of the sea, and that many would not survive it either. She would tell him tales of giant creatures with the power to crash any building man built, creatures sent out of hurt humankind for mistakes, though they were unable to leave the watery depths of their prison. These tales awed and frightened the young boy, but he was always eager to ask her to tell him more.

One day she told him about a certain monster who took the disguise of a man. This monster was fuelled by greed and a desire for his own world. He would stop anyone that got in the way of his goal, even if that meant hurting or pushing away loved ones in the process. This man had followers of course, people that wanted to have the same sort of world as him even if it wasn’t a good one. Even if the monster wanted to destroy the world in the process. She then explained that this monster learnt to multiply and live in different humans. All with their own goal and individual personalities.

Since learning about that, the boy tried to make sure he would not let monsters like that live. When he was sixteen he left to join an organisation he thought would help the world. He soon learnt that his mother had been right, that their leader was a monster disguised as a man. He ran away with a red-haired scientist when he discovered this secret. Together they tried to ignore the people that seemed to be these monsters. Luckily these two boys, now turning into young adults, had the experience to not allow the monsters to grasp at them.

That was before they discovered the legends of the beasts with the power to control land and sea.

The two adults had formed a bond in their time together, becoming almost inseparable because of it. They soon began to love one another, wanting to spend the rest of their lives together no matter what life threw at them. Both of them were too naive to realise their mistake, because it was never as easy as it sounded.

Desire grabbed them first. It was the beginning of the monster’s rule over them despite everything they’d done to throw it off. After finding out about the legendary beasts, they began to want a new world either for the humans living on land or for the creatures hiding in the water.

Conflicting ideologies could never work out together and before long this desire led to them breaking apart. In the place of what once was a romance that seemed to never end, hatred grew.

~~~~~

Rain. There was way too much rain. And it wasn’t just a thin sheet of rain, this rain was heavy and persistent. It seemed never ending, and they were all soon soaked to the skin. In normal circumstances, they would have found shelter in the nearest Pokemon Centre but they had to wait outside the cave, they had to make sure May tamed this beast.

The beast he’d unleashed.

He opened up the small device used to communicate with the girl in the cave, putting on a brave face despite his entire resolve crumbling apart.

“Hey! You read me, little scamp? Aye, it’s me, Archie! There’s a device built into that suit that lets me talk to you. We’re getting readings up here that look as though Kyogre’s appeared. I’d guess you’re staring right at it, if I’m not mistaken! Don’t be afraid, scamp! You leap right onto that beastie’s back! Then le― take you to― dee―est… o― th― c… shit I’ve lost signal!”

Shelly frowned, pushing back her soaked hair away from her face though the wind soon whipped it around and messed it up again. She couldn’t think of what to do now, she just had to trust May to fix their mistakes. Archie saw her look and he felt the urge to break the device in his hands, to let out the rage he was feeling at himself.

“I believe that kid can do it though…” Shelly told him, her gazing moving over to where Brendan and Steven stood. Archie felt great uncertainty at that.

If only he had known the consequences of unleashing Kyogre to this world! If only he had listened to all those people that tried to stop him. He looked over at the red-haired leader of Team Magma, letting the rain soak him to the bone when other times he wouldn’t even step out in it. His heart clenched in his chest, and before he could think he walked over to talk to him.

Maxie looked over at him, a look of sympathy crossing over his face. In normal circumstances he would have forced his look away but these weren’t normal circumstances at all. Far from it.

“Are you okay?” a pale hand reached out, touching his upper arm so lightly Archie could barely feel it. It reminded him of what they were before greed and desire had taken over their feelings, and he had to fight back tears that threatened to fall. He was Archie, leader of Team Aqua, and he would never cry.

But, with the storm raging on around them, Archie had never been more afraid in his entire life.

“She warned me about this… she told me that this monster lives in everyone…” he muttered, barely audible over the sound of the wind and the rain. He didn’t know why he was suddenly venting everything to a man that was meant to be his rival, all he did know was that he needed to get these feelings out.

“Archie…” that was all Maxie could respond with. They were supposed to make the world a better place together. Had it been Maxie that had awakened Groudon, who knew what would have happened instead. They had both become the monster they were trying so hard to avoid.

Archie simply walked away and paced back across the bridge, tilting his head up towards the sky. How he wished he could blow this storm away, or at least turn back time to before he grabbed that blue orb. Of course both things were impossible.

He was about to go back to Shelly and talk to her but a rumble through the earth made him stagger. Luckily he got his footing, just in time to see a dome of green light cover Sootopolis. The rain ceased from inside, as if the light was shielding them from the weather. And then the light flashed upwards into a single beam, breaking through the clouds to show off light blue skies. Where the clouds dispersed, the storm dissipated and clouds turned to small specks of green light. One speck floated down towards him and he held out his hand, watching it land in his palm before it shimmered away.

“She’s done it…” he heard Maxie say, just as the stone doors to the Cave of Origins opened up to reveal May. In her hands was an ultra ball, which she showed to Steven and Brendan as they rushed towards her.

Archie went to walk over but his legs felt weak and he fell to the floor, cursing quietly while Shelly rushed over to help him up. He knew why he felt so weak. All the panic and the terror had built inside him so much that he was shaking. He didn’t want to rely on Shelly to help him stand, but at that moment he couldn’t force his legs to hold up his weight.

“Archie… are you okay?” Shelly asked, noticing the look on his face. He wished people would stop asking if he was okay. How was he supposed to be okay when he had almost destroyed the world he was meant to be improving?!

“I’m… fine,” he hissed through gritted teeth, though soon after he apologised before pushing Shelly away gently. He would force his legs to carry him over to the girl, to stand beside Maxie and ignore the sympathetic stare the leader of Team Magma was giving him. He didn’t deserve sympathy or forgiveness.

Monsters didn’t deserve any of that.

He couldn’t really remember what they were saying after that, and he wasn’t really sure as to what he was saying himself. Saying he would never change his ideal world, well that was true but look what his ideal world had caused in the process! The world was good the way it was, in balance with each opposing force. How could he not have realised that?!

It was what Shelly said next that seemed to be like a slap round the face, even if she said it lightheartedly. Because every word she said was right.

"That’s right. You caused a big fuss there when you almost brought about the downfall of the world, you big dolt! No matter how much you beg, no one can forgive that! But… Do you really need their forgiveness, though? Even if you are a big dolt who no one in the world will ever forgive… I’ll stay with you forever! You’re Team Aqua’s leader, and we’re your friends, after all.”

Yes he knew Shelly would stay, so would Matt. They were loyal to him no matter what. But what he wanted he knew he would never get. The region would fear him, think he was corrupt. Children would be told about the leader of Team Aqua who had almost destroyed the world. They would condemn him and praise May. Even the police would be after him, trying to keep him on a short leash so he wouldn’t be able to actually make amends for the actions he caused.

It was as bad as being back in Team Rocket and learning about the cruel things he would have to do just to please their higher ups.

He looked back at May, saw her hold up the blue orb to him before he shook his head. “Keep the orb, you can control its Primal Reversal…”

And with one final goodbye he walked off, feeling them staring at him as he walked away. Maxie tried to stop him, make him wait, but he ignored him. He needed to get somewhere and think about his actions.

~~~~~

Days passed, a girl named Zinnia broke in and stole his key stone. Once again, May saved the day from both Zinnia and the incoming meteor. The entire region was in debt to this selfless girl, not once but twice.

It was nightfall and Archie stood on Lilycove’s beach, watching the moonlight shimmer on the surface of the calm waters. A light breeze ruffled his hair, free from the bandana that he’d stopped wearing so as to not draw attention to himself. He grabbed a flat pebble and threw it across the water, watching as it skimmed across before sinking into the depths. He’d been doing this a lot lately, leaving the base to go and stand at the beach when there was no one around. He listened to the cries of Pokemon, trying to concentrate on that to distract him from this thoughts.

The sound of footsteps on the sand made him turn, and he saw Maxie walking over. His rival (though he wasn’t even sure he could call him that anymore) was wearing a dark red coat, fancier and longer than the one he used for his outfit. There was a belt around his waist, tying it it alongside the buttons. His hair was in a loose ponytail, obviously put up in a rush to get it out of the way. In the moonlight, Maxie looked oddly alluring.

“The last place I thought you would be near is a beach,” Archie muttered when Maxie stood beside him.

“And this is the first place I thought you would be near,” Maxie responded, staring out at the waves as they lapped against the shore.

Archie sighed, crossing his arms over his chest before raising an eyebrow. “Alright Max, what the fuck are you doing here?”

“I forgive you.”

Archie gasped quietly, hands falling to his side at that quiet confession. He couldn’t believe that of all things Maxie had said that.

“Care to repeat that?” he asked, turning to look at Maxie.

“I said I forgive you.” Maxie seemed to huff in annoyance before turning to face Archie. He looked up, watching how Archie’s face seemed to crumble and show exactly how he felt. He hadn’t realised just how broken he felt over awakening Kyogre until that exact moment.

“Yes, you became the monster your mother was warning you about. But you aren’t going to stay like that. You’ve changed Archie, for the better.” he reached out, taking one of his hands in his own. “I know you more than anyone else, just like you know me more than anyone else. I believe that you have the ability to put aside this…set back. Even if the region never forgives you, I forgive you and so does your team.”

In the dim light, Maxie saw tears fall down Archie’s cheeks. Tears he’d been trying to hold back until hearing Maxie say what he’d so badly wanted to hear. Hearing from his rival that he wasn’t going to stay a monster broke that facade he was trying to desperately to keep up. He grabbed Maxie and pulled him close, sobbing against his shoulder while Maxie’s arms wrapped around him gently.

What his mother had never said, deliberately so he would learn, was that the monster could claim you but it could also be fought.


End file.
